


Wisps of Whimsy

by AnneRQi (LilyLi)



Category: True Blood
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dimension Travel, Existentialism, F/M, Fairies, Multi, Not Canon Compliant, Possible Romance, Protective Siblings, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-17
Updated: 2014-08-03
Packaged: 2018-02-09 05:12:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1970223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilyLi/pseuds/AnneRQi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elsie Pak has landed herself in an unbelievable situation: somehow, someway she has become a Stackhouse. Her first instinct is to run from all the danger and chaos of the True Blood series, but how far and how long can she run before she gets into trouble? After all, in this new life, she's Elsie Stackhouse, and the Stackhouses attract trouble like honey attracts flies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own True Blood or any characters therein. I do own Elsie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have been reading a butt load of True Blood and Vampire Diaries (specifically OC-centered) fanfics, and I just absolutely had to write one because I absolutely cannot understand the rationale behind these OCs…especially if they are self-inserts/girl-from-another-world. I know I need to get on my HP fanfic, but I was attacked by this little drabbly-plot bunny that just would not leave. So, enjoy!

Elsie woke suddenly with a large gasp of air, her heart beating weakly, struggling to breathe, tasting copper on her heavy tongue, and pain stemming from everywhere in her body from the tips of her toes to – seemingly – even the dead cells of her hair. The pain seemed to stem not just from her physical body but also from the deepest reaches of her soul, which she didn’t even know was possible until then. She could just barely make out the arms holding her up and the hand gently clasping hers. Her eyes rolled around as she lay on the ground, debris digging into her back, terrified and in pain. She struggled to open her eyes to see where she was and what could have possibly have led to such soul-aching, encompassing pain when last she knew, she had been getting ready for bed in her college dorm (which had so many security measures it was ridiculous). She finally succeeded in just opening her eyes, catching the site of total destruction and a worried face, before she succumbed to the pain and fell back into unconsciousness. 

TBTBTBTBTB

The next time Elsie awoke, she was blissfully pain-free; there was just the slightest – and the oddest – feeling of somehow being stretched and out-of-place, a feeling that transcended any physical sensation. Her eyes still closed, she lay in the softest, most comfortable bed she’s ever had the pleasure to be in, and tested all of her muscles and limbs, delighting in flexing her muscles with no hindrance. She sighed in content, pushing back the rising anxiety and confusion of where she was and what in God’s good name could have happened to lead to her previous experience. She was going to enjoy the comfort and peace for as long as she could before she had to face the world. 

Then suddenly, she remembered her roommates. If she had ended up in such a situation, what about her roommates, who had been with her at time? Had they been harmed? Her eyes shot open and she nearly jumped out of bed before buckling at the weakness of her knees. 

Searching the room for any clues, she was surprised, confused, and slightly fearful to find herself in a completely foreign bedroom. What was going on…? 

After stabilizing herself, she walked to the connecting door, which she assumed led out of the room. Taking a deep breath, not knowing what she would find on the other side, she opened the door and stepped out to find herself in a lavishly but elegantly decorated living room in which two people – a man and a woman – were talking on the couch. Elsie stopped and observed them, unsure how she should handle the situation. On the one hand, they could be kidnappers discussing all sorts of nefarious plots and diabolical plans for her. On the other, they helped her when she was hurt and in pain, and left her in comfort. 

What to do, what to do? 

Feeling intense curiosity and the need to know about her roommates, Elsie forwent her normal indecisiveness and embraced the recklessness that she often vainly tried to suppress. 

“Excuse me, but where am I? And where are Rachel and Gina?” 

The two on the couch looked up startled, before the blond-haired woman leapt up with a cry and dashed over to the startled Elsie while the man stood up and walked over with a smile on his face. 

“Oh Elsie, I’m so glad you’re alright! We were so worried, you know? For a second, it seemed like Godric’s blood hadn’t worked,” the blond-haired woman exclaimed as she enveloped Elsie in a warm hug. 

“Elsie, do not do that ever again. You gave us a right scare,” the blond-haired man said as the woman stepped back to allow him to give Elsie a hug and a ruffle of the hair. 

Elsie looked back and forth between the two with a bewildered expression on her face. 

“I’m sorry, but who are ya’ll again? Have we met? And, please, will you please tell me how Rachel and Gina are? Did they get hurt in whatever accident I was in? Can I –” 

“What? What do you mean ‘who are ya’ll’? How can you not know your own brother and sister, Elsie?” The blond woman interrupted with a concerned expression as the man’s smile fell right off his face. 

“Elsie, it ain’t nice to play those kinds of jokes, especially after a near-death experience,” Jason interjected sternly. 

“I’m – I’m sorry, but I really don’t recall ever having met you guys before. And what did you mean ‘near-death experience’?!” 

A moment of silence passed as they all looked at each other, the blond couple worried as they realized that Elsie sincerely had no idea of who they were while Elsie became increasingly frightened and worried. She started shaking and her breaths started coming faster and faster. 

Oh dear Lord, I’m surrounded by some crazies who kidnapped me and expect me to believe that I have amnesia and am related to them. I don’t even look like them, for goodness’ sake! I’m not even white! Elsie thought, as she looked at the worried faces of the two before her .

“Hey, hey, calm down Ells. It’s gonna be okay. We’re the Stackhouses; we’ll figure something out. We always do,” the man attempted to soothe. Elsie just stared at him incredulously. She couldn’t figure out if this man was being serious – and if he was, what are the odds of her meeting a real person with the actual last name of “Stackhouse” – or if he was insane. 

The woman, seeing her expression sighed. “Oh dear. Let’s sit down as we talk before you have a panic attack. Breathe. We’ll figure this out,” she said as she gently grabbed Elsie’s shoulders and guided her to the couch where Elsie collapsed. “Now, what is the last thing you remember?” 

“Hm…pain. Lots and lots of pain,” Elsie replied hesitantly, unsure if she should trust this woman and play along or not. She decided not, and embraced the recklessness again. “Look, that doesn’t matter. I know I’m not amnesiac. I know my name is Elsie Pak and I remember my family and background. Frankly, I think it’s ridiculous and pathetic that you expect me to believe that I’m related to you when I’m not even white! Now, here’s the deal. You’re going to tell me where Rachel and Gina are, you’re going to let me go and give up on whatever convoluted and evil kidnapping scheme you have going on here, do you understand?” 

Stunned silence followed her speech before the man and woman seemed to get even more concerned.

“Elsie, sweetie, calm down now. We’re not kidnappers, sweetie, and we’re not trying to lie to you. I think, before we continue this conversation, you should go to the restroom and wash up, don’t you?” The woman said softly, worry and fear seeping into her tone of voice. Elsie sighed. Unbelievable. They’re still going along with the amnesia scheme. That’s so ridiculous. I know who I am, and some white girl named Elsie Stackhouse is not it. Shrugging, Elsie got up and headed to the door that the woman gestured to. She slipped into the bathroom as the couple in the living room exploded into a whispered conversation. 

TBTBTBTBTB

“Jason! What are we going to do? Do you think she healed improperly from some type of brain trauma? I mean, our sister thinks we’re kidnappers! And that she’s Asian! What the heck?!” Sookie whisper-shouted at her brother.

“Look Sooks, I’m in the same boat as you: clueless, worried, and terrified for Elsie. We’ll have to wait for your vamps to wake up to see if they’ve seen anything like this. Meanwhile, we’ll do what we can to jog her memory,” Jason replied shortly, stressed. “By the way, good plan with the bathroom. Maybe her seeing for herself that she’s not who she thinks she is will help.” 

“Lord, I hope so,” Sookie sighed, her blue eyes fixed on the door with worry. 

TBTBTBTBTB

As Elsie headed to the toilet, she passed by the mirror with unseeing eyes when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Her hair was blonde. It was a very pretty, natural blonde, but that was not the point. The point was that it should not be blonde. It should be black, and wavy, and short. Her kidnappers must have dyed her hair for whatever reason…but that didn’t explain the sudden length. Or the sudden change in her eyes and face that she could see at first glance. She looked like a completely different person. In fact, she didn’t even look Asian anymore. 

Suddenly, she felt an unease in the pit of her stomach that had nothing to do with pain, the worry over her friends and her own situation, or her kidnappers. 

Hesitantly and uncertain of what to expect, Elsie slowly turned to look in the mirror fully and gaped in stupefied disbelief. Not only was her hair long and blonde, but she was – some way, somehow – white. And her body was the body she was familiar with. She appeared to be in someone else’s body…

Shaking her head in disbelief, she tried to rationalize it away. Maybe there was a woman on the other side, and the mirror isn’t really a mirror, like in those prank videos on YouTube she liked to watch. She tested her reflection, lifting one hand then the other. Slowly, then faster. She jerked to the left suddenly. Then jumped and leapt forward. But no matter how hard she tried to shake the image off, the girl in the mirror flawlessly followed every single movement. 

Okay, so she now had long, blonde hair. And, if her mirror image is to be trusted, is now a white girl. 

Oh my God (and if there ever existed a time in which she could use the Lord’s name in vain, now was it)! She’s in someone else’s body! She was a body snatcher! 

Elsie once more shook her head, pinched herself, slapped herself, splashed her face with cold water, rubbed her eyes, and nothing changed the image before her. Instead of the curvier, chubbier, and taller figure she was expecting, she was short (5’3” was her estimate) and slim. Her brown eyes and pale skin had been replaced with blue eyes and tan, sun-kissed, freckled skin. Her face was all wrong; she had a cute, slim nose and high cheekbones. Her face was – can you believe it? – delicate! Everything about her was delicate! She looked like she could be knocked over by a strong gust of wind, whereas before she had been sturdier.

Worst of all, she could see the resemblance between this image and the two people in the living room. 

What in the world was going on?! How was any of this possible? Was she dreaming? Is this real life? 

And with that, Elsie fell over in a dead faint with a thump.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I don’t know if I will go anywhere with this, but I had to at least get the beginning of this out of my head. Elsie is not based on me, aside from one major point: if I were in the TB-world I would leave Bon Temps ASAP and avoid vampires for as long as I could. That’s something Elsie and I both share. Oh, a secret desire for mischief and fun, which Elsie would actually put into play and act since she thinks she’s dreaming/hallucinating. 
> 
> Yes, TB is full of hunky supernatural characters, like Eric and Alcide, but I honestly do not think a romance with sex-on-two-legs is worth the drama and pain that Sookie gets pulled into. 
> 
> Also, GO READ BITS OF SUNSHINE by Terans-DinosaurCostume! The story is amazing and funny and so, so sweet. You might find bits of Clarissa in Elsie, but I’ll try to minimize that. 
> 
> Cheers!


	2. Chapter 2

Elsie came into consciousness with a groan and a pounding in her head. This seems awfully familiar… she thought, before recent events came rushing into her head. If I don’t open my eyes, then it’s not real. I’m not stuck in a TV show in someone else’s body…or even more probably, I’m not some mad neuroscientists’ illegal, unethical experiment at transferring a human conscious from body to body by transplanting their brains. Yep, nope, it was all a dream and when I open my eyes, I will be back in my dorm room. I will get up and see Rach and Gin. I will be Asian again!

Elsie gathered her courage and slowly opened her eyes, hardly daring to hope but also hardly daring to believe that the events prior to awakening had been real. She groaned to find herself back in the hotel room from earlier. Sighing, she resigned herself – for the moment – to being stuck with crazy kidnappers and a foreign – white! – body that did not belong to her. Glancing around, she saw that she was once more left by herself and her kidnappers were nowhere to be seen. That meant that she had time to formulate a plan to get out of the situation she found herself in. It didn’t matter that she was in someone else’s body, that all she had was the clothes on her back, or that she was who-knows-where. The only thing that mattered at the moment was getting away from the crazies before she had the leisure to panic and let the severity of the situation hit her. 

So, with that thought, she got up and checked the drawers, closet, and bathroom for anything that could be of use before heading to the windows to see if she could feasibly escape that way. Creepily, she found a few spare clothes in her size and various toiletries, as well as a wallet with some money. She quickly changed out of the pajamas she found herself in into a pair of comfortable jeans and a T-shirt, pocketing the wallet with a quick prayer of thanks. Well, if she happened to find a way out, at least she had some cash and a form of identification on her. She made a mental note to check the contents of the wallet more thoroughly once she found a way out and away from these people. 

Else let out a silent groan of disappointment when she saw that the floor she was on was way too high to climb out and it faced the street. There was no way she could escape inconspicuously through that route. 

Drawing on all the knowledge she’s managed to glean from movies and TV shows, she looked up at the vent and contemplated the efficacy of the vent as an escape route or a way to at least hear what was going on in the other room. The vent could possibly carry sound from the other room. She nodded decisively. She would have to settle for some information gathering and bide her time until a better escape route presented itself. 

The vent was large and near the ground, situated next to the dresser, so she knelt before the vent and flipped it open, hoping that would be enough to hear what was going on in the other room. Fortunately, luck was on her side because she could hear faint whispers of the conversation between her kidnappers. But, it wasn’t enough. She would have to go further and unscrew the vent, and stuff as much of herself into it as she could. Surprisingly (she had forgotten the size and dimensions of the new body she now possessed), her whole body fit and she had just enough space to crawl.

With some measure of glee and fear, Elsie closed the vent behind her – it wouldn’t do to make such a rookie mistake after all – and started crawling through the dirty vent, praying she wouldn’t come across any cockroaches or rodents. The now-blonde girl carefully made her way through the vent systems, trying to minimize the amount of noise she made, before she came to a split. Deciding to go the Gandalf-way, she took a quick whiff and turned left toward the source of fresher air. 

Elsie had crawled for what felt like hours but was in reality minutes, her body producing sweat that caused all manners of dust and filth to stick to her, before the voices became loud enough for her to decipher. Not wanting to risk discovery, Elsie crawled forward a few more paces before she stopped to eavesdrop on the conversation. 

“...tell them. Someone has to, and they’ll probably know what to do. They’ve lived for a long time and must have come across something like this, right?” A male spoke, a tinge of desperation in his voice. 

“Yeah, you’re right. They’ll wake in about an hour, so we just have to sit tight until then. I’ll just check on Elsie real quick, alright?” The female voice said. Elsie panicked, before she realized that she left no clue of her whereabouts behind. She was safe, for now, but her chances of escape had just gotten exponentially harder. Who else was in this place? In her current filthy state, she would stick out like a sore thumb. 

“Jason!” She heard the blonde woman from before shout. “She’s gone! Elsie’s gone! We have to find her! She’s wandering about lost and alone, with no idea of who she really is! Someone could hurt her!” 

“Sookie, Sookie. Calm down. What do you mean she’s gone? How could she have left? We were right here and the only way to leave is through the living area,” the man, Jason, soothed. 

Elsie sighed. Well, at least they were honest about their names, as crazy and implausible as it seems, she thought. An unbidden thought entered her mind about the possibility of her really being in the TB world before she shook it off and banished it into the furthest recesses of her mind. After all, such a thing was impossible. She refocused on the conversation, having been lost in her thoughts for a bit. 

“…split up and find her, alright? There’s no way she could have gone far. We’ll find her soon, don’t worry. Besides, we have an advantage. If anyone’s seen her recently, she might be in people’s thoughts,” Jason was saying. Elsie’s brain stuttered to a stop. Either these people were really, truly, certifiably insane or she was. Or, as impossible as it seemed, she was truly in True Blood. Elsie started panicking; none of these options were spelled good news for her. Her breaths came loud and fast, no matter how hard she tried to stifle them, aware that if she could hear them then they could hear her. 

Luckily, it seems that while she had been coming to realize that the impossible just might be possible, the two had already left on their search for her. Elsie quickly crawled through the air ducts, sighting the vent a short distance away after a minute or so. Once she reached the other vent, she realized she had another issue at hand: how was she going to open the vent from the inside? 

Thinking furiously for a few minutes, Elsie decided to go back to the room and leave normally, since the two had already left and the rooms should be empty. With no room to maneuver, Elsie crawled as fast as she could backwards, disregarding any attempts at silence and stealth. Once she reached her starting point and got out of the vent, she quickly changed and washed off what she could before cautiously exiting the room into the living room. Seeing that the living room was truly empty, Elsie quickly crossed the room and opened the door out. 

Peeking out, she saw that the coast was clear and stepped into the hallway. Brushing out her hair, Elsie casually walked down the hallway, hoping to see a sign indicating the stairway before anyone saw her. Most likely, the two had gone straight to the lobby, thinking she would go there. Well, she wouldn’t. She would go a floor up, find a storage closet that had some towels, and a public bathroom where she could better clean up. After all, a clean appearance would attract much less attention than her somewhat currently dusty and dirty one. 

As she made her way down the hallway, up the stair well she finally found an entrance to, down another hallway, and into a public bathroom her mind produced the “Pink Panther” theme song. She would hum “Mission Impossible” but for the life of her, she could never remember it. Unable to help herself, she found herself humming the song under her breath as she cleaned up. Finally satisfied with her appearance, she trashed the dirty towels and leisurely made her way out, secure in the fact that her two kidnappers would be looking for her downstairs. After all, if she were trying to escape, why would she go up? It defies logic. 

It was only when she reached the stairwell that her fear made another appearance. As she steadily made her way down, her fear and anxiety rising, the light filtering into the stairwell slowly darkened as the sun set.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo….I might start experimenting with POV and narrative styles as well as tenses. What do you guys think? Should I switch to first person? And should I try my hand at writing a character’s POV (like Sookie’s or Jason’s or Godric’s)? 
> 
> So, a lot won’t be happening until the next chapter. And I will be introducing more dialogue then too Sorry. 
> 
> Next chapter: Godric makes an appearance! Elsie confronts the fact that she is now Elsie Stackhouse, younger sister to Jason and Sookie Stackhouse, in the vampire infested world of True Blood.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, what you have all been waiting for: Godric appears, Elsie finally realizes the truth of her situation, and the plot moves forward!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics are thoughts

Elsie held her breath as she practically tip-toed her way down, fear and anxiety clouding her thoughts and threatening to overwhelm her. After all, once she reached the bottom floor, she might be spotted by her kidnappers and potential experimenters. Maybe, she could instead break out from the second floor? The jump wouldn’t hurt her too badly and her chances of escaping undetected would increase…Besides, at this point, her adrenaline would dull any pain long enough for her to get a good distance away if she did get hurt. Yes, this is what she would do.

 

Once she reached the floor marked with a giant “1”, Elsie cautiously cracked the door open, looking back and forth the empty hallway to make sure it truly was empty. A sense of urgency suddenly hit her, giving her a feeling that her luck had just run out and she better hurry if she wanted to take one step out of the hotel. Throwing caution to the wind, panic fuelling her, Elsie knocked on a random door and waited, the five seconds it took for the resident to answer her knock feeling like an eternity and serving to only heighten the jumble of _urgencyfearpanic_ in her chest. By the time the door opened, Elsie was panting and her heart was beating a mile per minute.

 

“Yes? What—” The woman at the door was interrupted as Elsie knocked her aside and barged in, shutting the door behind her.

 

“I’m really sorry, but I need to use your window! I’ll be out of your hair in, like, 10 seconds!” Elsie rushed over her shoulder as she ran to the window. The room was a standard hotel room, not a suite like the one she woke up in. Praying and hoping that this would work, Elsie yanked the curtains to the window open. Her heart sank. It was just a glass pane; there was no way she could open it without smashing the glass.

 

Unbidden, her heart rate sped up. Her sense of urgency increased another level. Any inhibitions she had left her in that moment. Thus, grabbing a chair, Elsie chucked it at the window, ignoring the woman’s complaints and her cry of alarm. She quickly jumped out, ignorant to the bleeding cuts she gained due to the jagged glass. She deftly landed on the ground below, rolling with her momentum, before standing back up. Once more shouting an apology, she took off running once more, ignoring the curious and worried pedestrians on the street. All she felt was the impending feeling of doom and need to get as far away as possible, and the sinking feeling that even then she wouldn’t be safe. But, she ignored that part of her, and just continued to run, a stitch in her side, panting, sweating, bleeding, but determined and willful and so, so hopeful, driven by her fear.

 

Elsie ran into the streets of Texas, bloodied and scared, just as the sun set and darkness covered the skies.

 

A few pedestrians lingered on the side walk, some gazing at the broken window, others looking at the fading figure of the blond-haired bloodied girl. Some looked worried and had their phones out, already calling the police, while others looked derisive, knowing exactly what kind of hotel the girl had come from. Hotel Carmilla was known for its renovations to accommodate vampires to the locals.

 

Any concern or desire to help vanished in the face of the white blur that rushed out of the broken window and after the girl. Self-preservation won in the face of the danger a vampire presented and prejudice against what the onlookers presumed was a fang-banger.

 

TBTBTBTBTBTB

 

Elsie panted, coming to a stop once she turned the corner, unable to keep up her run for any longer. Besides, she figured that this was far enough for her to walk and figure things out. Like, where in the hell was she?! And how could she get home with nothing more than the clothes on her back? Elsie couldn’t lie to herself, no matter how self-sufficient and independent she considered herself, she was sorely out of her depth. She had been born into an affluent Korean-American family with influential connections back in Korea and in America. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and she knew it. And everyone else knew it as well. It showed in her dress, her speech, her mannerisms, her carriage, and nothing could hide it. Even now, bedraggled, bloodied, and sweaty, she had the demeanor of a princess, for that was what she is. She is her father’s heir, the figurative princess to his empire.

 

She knew her worth, but she also knew that the likelihood this kidnapping attempt had to do with her family background was slim to none. At least, it should have been considering how much her father paid to hide her wealth and affluence so she could attend college and make friends without having to deal with hanger-ons and fame-seekers. So she could have the normal, college experience. And once her family realized she wasn’t where she was supposed to be, if they hadn’t already, heads were going to roll.

 

Now, all she needed to do was gain access to a phone.

 

Straightening up, she looked around for any clues as to where she could be. She took a step forward and looked down when her foot hit something, sending it rolling. It was a glass bottle with the words “True Blood” emblazoned on the label. But, that was impossible. True Blood wasn’t real, and a prop would most definitely not have been left on the street like a common beer bottle. Dread crept up on her as she looked around once more, only this time she looked at the ground and found many bottles similar to the one at her feet discarded to the side.

 

_What was going on…?_

 

She took another step forward, intent on doing some more investigation when she ran into something that was most definitely not there before.

 

“What were you thinking, running around with bloody cuts at night like this?” The man, for though he looked like a teenager one could not mistake him for anything but a man, growled at her.

 

“Excuse me?” Elsie replied, indignant at the audacity of this stranger. He seemed familiar to her, but she ignored the familiarity as she continued. “I apologize for bumping into you, sir, but – with all due respect – who do you think you are? I do not need to answer to some rude stranger who makes a point of standing in my way. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have places to be” She made to move around him, but he just stepped in her way, a crinkle in his brow.

 

“‘Some rude stranger’?” He looked faintly hurt somehow, though his expression didn’t change. “Look, Elsie, I understand if you’re upset at me about getting you hurt, but that is no reason to treat me like a stranger or run away and invite danger by wandering around at night bloody like this. Let’s get back to the hotel, your siblings and Eric must be worried by now,” the man said. Elsie froze, her fear rising at the fact that this man was in league with her kidnappers. His brow crinkled even more and he took a step back to give her some space.

 

“What are you so afraid of, child?”

 

“Please! Please don’t take me back! I don’t know what you want, but I just want to go home!” Elsie shrieked, panic overriding her senses and hopelessness threatening to engulf her. “Look, if you want money, I have money! Just call my father! Just, don’t hurt me!” Tears ran down her eyes. For all of her family’s wealth and affluence, Elsie had never been kidnapped before. She was just a girl. Independent and intelligent, driven and confident, but nevertheless she was still only 20. Moreover, she was a pampered, rather _spoiled_ girl as well, though she strove not to act so. Thus, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Elsie broke down. It was a long-time coming after this entire ordeal. So, Elsie started hyperventilating, scared out of her mind.

 

“Elsie, shh, calm down. It’s only me, Godric. Everything is okay. No one is going to hurt you. You’re okay. You’re safe. Shh,” Godric soothed, trying to get Elsie to calm down and breathe. “Elsie, look at me. You’re safe. No, look at me.” He stepped close and gently grasped her head, meeting her blue eyes with his own dark ones. “There’s a good girl. You’re okay, you’re safe, you’re fine. Just breathe, child. Calm down. There you go, calm.” Elsie’s breathing evened and her fear and panic retreated.

 

Exhausted from her panic attack, Elsie passed out.

 

TBTBTBTBTBTB

 

When Elsie once more awoke, she groaned at the familiar feeling of disorientation and grogginess. The voices around her stopped at her groan. She sighed, disappointed that it wasn’t all a dream and she wasn’t back in her college dorm, waking up to her roommates’ morning antics. Stubbornly, however, she refused to open her eyes and fully face the reality of her situation.

 

“Look, I don’t know who you are, what you want, but I promise you that if you let me go peacefully, I can make sure you guys are pardoned and compensated. We will even make sure you won’t get punished for the undoubtedly illegal, but ingenious body-conscious experiments you all have got going on. As long as you all have a way of getting me back to normal, of course,” Elsie said. Silence followed.

 

“She truly believes what she’s saying. She’s disoriented and groggy yes, disappointed, but she is also full of conviction,” a male voice – Godric’s – said.

 

“Sookie? What of her thoughts?” An unfamiliar male voice asked.

 

“Have you ever seen anything like this, Eric, Godric?” A female voice said, a voice Elsie recognized as the blonde woman who claimed to be Sookie Stackhouse. Elsie couldn’t contain her snort. _Sookie Stackhouse, really? Trying to impersonate fictional characters was not the way to lull their experiments into complacency. On that note, Godric? Please, give me another._ “Also, for some reason, I can no longer hear her thoughts. Is it due to your blood, Godric?”

 

_Okay, this is just ridiculous. They are really invested in me believing that they are truly True Blood characters. Is this some kind of weird experiment?_ Elsie couldn’t help thinking. But then, she remembered the True Blood bottles in the street and Godric’s very real concern for her walking around the streets at night with blood exposed to the open air. _It couldn’t be…could it? Perhaps, this is just some crazy dream…something like inception? Maybe, I need to die to wake up, since sleeping and passing out isn’t doing anything. And if it isn’t a dream…then what? What if this is all real, and I’m truly in some fictional universe that is no longer so fictional and characters that are now actually real characters? What then?_ Elsie mused, ignoring the conversation flowing around her. _Well, first, I’ll try the death thing. I’ll either wake up or be dead. And honestly, I prefer death over being stuck in such a God-forsaken universe as True Blood._

 

Feeling somewhat better for having come to a decision, Elsie finally opened her eyes to find herself laying the couch with her head in someone’s lap. How did she not notice that? She looked up to see that she was in Godric’s lap. Despite herself, she couldn’t help but blush. She’s never been this close to a male not related to her before, due to her parents’ overprotective tendencies. Keeping her cool, she sat up and put some space between them.

 

“So…I’m Elsie Stackhouse?” Elsie drawled in the face of the silence that followed her movements. The blonde – _Sookie_ , Elsie reminded herself – launched herself at Elsie and enveloped her in a warm hug. In this new body, Elsie was smaller than Sookie and was easily pulled into her arms. Jason followed, enclosing both of his sisters in his arms.

 

“Hey, we’ll figure this out. Until then, we’ll just have to reintroduce you to some very important people. You’ll most likely gain your memories back once we head back home where you will be exposed to familiar sights, sounds, and smells,” Jason soothed. Elsie wasn’t sure if he was soothing them or himself.

 

“Yes, right. Well, okay then,” Elsie said, pulling out of the group hug filled with such warmth for a girl that wasn’t her. Because, she was sure that no matter what these people said, she was still and would forever be Elsie Pak, daughter of Young-Joon Pak and Hayley Kim, both famous in their own right, and elder sister to Paul Pak. Nothing and no one was going to steal her identity from her. Ever. She will forever remain the heiress to her father’s company and her mother’s inheritance, princess in her own right. Though she may not look anything like she once did, though she now looked like Elsie Stackhouse, she would remain the tall, athletic, capable, Asian Elsie Pak inside.

 

“Now, who are the others?” Elsie asked, glancing at the others in the room. If she was right, and she had a feeling she was, then the dark-haired, broody man was Bill Compton, the fiery-haired teenager was Jessica, and the tall, blonde-haired man was Eric Northman. Ugh. Elsie felt disgust well up inside of her. Godric, feeling this, quirked an eyebrow at her, though Elsie didn’t notice.

 

Regardless of whether this was a dream or reality, which Elsie would be testing really soon, she loathed _True Blood_. Elsie deemed it overly sexualized, over hyped, and boring. She hated the characters and the direction the writers took the series. Part of this distaste for the series stemmed from her disappointment with the series. She had been a fan up until the end of season 2, when she stopped watching the show. But, she still knew enough from Wikipedia and fanfiction to know that the show did not get any better. In fact, the best thing to happen to the show after season 2 was Alcide and even then, she was disappointed with the fact that he too would succumb to the Sookie charm.

 

Not that she had anything against the woman who turned out to be the sister of the Elsie whose body she was occupying. No, she actually liked Sookie’s character, to an extent. She just hated how so many fell in love with the one girl, which she did not find realistic at all. And, which she found to be overly common in the sci-fi/fantasy genre of many TV shows with a strong female lead. It was annoying. Why couldn’t the female lead exist and continue to be awesome without a male lover, or more? Why couldn’t she stand alone, happy in her singlehood, scratching her itch with the occasional lover? Why did she need a male to complete her?

 

Elsie shook her head to clear her thoughts and to refocus on her surroundings. She really needed to get her head together and stop getting lost in thought. Apparently Sookie had been saying something, but Elsie completely missed it, lost in thought as she was.

 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that. What did you say?”

 

“Oh, that’s alright darling. I was just re-introducing you to the others. You’ve already met Godric,” Sookie nodded at the vampire. “This is Bill Compton, my boyfriend. Ya’ll were pretty good friends before this mess happened. In fact, ya’ll was like brother and sister,” Sookie said, disregarding Jason’s scowl, which Elsie took note of. _Wonder what his problem is…_ “And this is Jessica, Bill’s childe, and Eric.” Sookie scowled. “You don’t need to know Eric, since we won’t be seeing him anymore after this.”

 

“Now, no need to be so rude, Sookie. You will need to get paid, after all. And I may call upon you once more for your…services,” Eric drawled, his blue eyes pinning Sookie down. Sookie and Elsie grimaced simultaneously, while Bill growled.

 

“Ew, that is so gross! No need to air dirty laundry within her family’s vicinity!” Elsie couldn’t help exclaim. Every eye flew to Elsie. She blushed but maintained her composure. “What? Stop looking at me like that! What Sookie does is her business, as long as all who are involved are happy. But that doesn’t mean her family wants to hear about all the nitty-gritty details!” Eric smirked, eyes glinting, as Sookie blushed, mortified, and Bill growled at the implications.

 

“Elsie! It’s not like that! He meant professional services! I know you don’t remember, but know this, I am a one-man kinda gal, got it?” Sookie scolded.

 

“Okay, well the introductions are done with and I’m bored and hungry, so I’m outta here! See ya lates Ells,” Jessica called as she left. “We’ll catch up later!”

 

“Nice to meet you again,” the dark-haired man – _no, vampire_ , Elsie corrected herself– said. “I’m sorry that you got dragged into our mess, Elsie. No one meant for you to get hurt.” He looked genuinely contrite and guilty.

 

“Hey, it’s not your fault big guy. I’m sure, knowing me, I would have gotten involved somehow,” Elsie said, smiling up at Bill. “Now, I don’t know about you all, but I haven’t eaten all day and I’m rather hungry. Where can I find some food?”

 

Jason stood up, pulling his sisters with him. “Come on, we’ll go downstairs to the restaurant and grab some grub.” The two vampires followed after the Stackhouse siblings. _Now…how am I going to kill myself?_ Elsie thought to herself as she followed her two siblings, ending up in between the two pairs – one human and one vampire – by herself. The others left her to her thoughts, Godric keeping a tab on her emotions for any distress as he conversed with his Childe.

 

TBTBTBTBTBTB

 

That night, after dinner and conversation and some clinging on behalf of Jason and Sookie, Elsie found herself alone for the first time since she last woke up. Getting up from her bed, she fingered the knife she stole from the restaurant, and snuck into the bathroom, making sure not to make too much noise. She didn’t want to attract any attention, though she had a ready excuse in case she did. After all, what was so suspicious of needing to use the restroom?

 

She left the light off, knowing that turning it on would attract attention and she didn’t want to be found sooner than desired. She was just grateful that the vampires had business to deal with, or else her plan would have no way of succeeding.

 

Taking a deep breath, steeling herself against any pain, and reaching into the deep well of determination that she inherited, the determination that drove her father’s success in the business world, she grasped the knife and stabbed herself in the chest before quickly pulling it out and dropping it. However, Elsie, though intelligent, was not a medical school student or doctor. She went to school to study neuroscience and economics, neither of which gave her much information on the details of the human circulatory system. Thus, while she did succeed in stabbing herself in the vicinity of her heart, she missed by an inch, thus ensuring that rather than dying quickly, Elsie would bleed out and suffer a long, drawn out death, if no once found her first.

 

Elsie fell to the floor as she grew weak from the pain and blood loss. Her vision darkened and finally, her eyes rolled close. Just as she lost consciousness, she heard a banging in the distance. Banging and shouting. Growls and wood splintering.

 

The shouting was coming closer, but she still couldn’t decipher what the voice was shouting.

 

Finally, just as the door opened in a rain of broken, reinforced wood, Elsie’s world went dark.

 

TBTBTBTBTBTB

 

Godric, Eric, and Bill had been talking with Isobel in the bar adjacent to the lobby, when Godric was alerted by a shift in Elsie’s emotions. She was determined. Determined and relieved, but about what? She should have been sleeping by now. Uneasy, Godric stood up and shot Eric and Bill a look. “Excuse us Isobel, but we have something to attend to. We shall continue this later,” Godric said. Isobel nodded in agreement.

 

“Alright, Sheriff. We’ll talk later,” she murmured, moving on to speak with another group of vampires.

 

The three vampires walked out of the lobby, heading for the elevators. “Godric, what’s wrong?” Eric questioned in Swedish, sensing his Maker’s unease. Bill shifted, annoyed at being left out but knowing to stay silent.

 

“Something is not right. Elsie is feeling unusually determined and cautious,” Godric replied. Eric scoffed.

 

“She’s probably still adjusting to her loss of memories and trying to reconcile that with the memories her mind conjured to deal with the trauma,” Eric said, not understanding his Maker’s worry. “But, since you are worried, it couldn’t hurt to check on her,” he added when Godric stiffened, sensing his shift in emotions.

 

“She’s feeling pain!” Godric said urgently. Eric straightened at that. “Pain in her heart! A stabbing pain!”

 

“What’s going on?” Bill finally asked, fed up with being kept ignorant and knowing something was wrong.

 

“It’s Elsie. Something is not right. She’s in pain,” Godric replied. Bill stiffened. What Sookie had said to Elsie earlier wasn’t a lie. He had been fond of the small, blonde-haired girl, often seeing his sister’s love for life, kindness, and ladylike demeanor in her.

 

However, despite their worry, the elevator would not go any faster and other patrons would stop, delaying them even further. Finally, impatient with the delays and worried at feeling Elsie’s pain escalate and her sense of consciousness dim, Godric and Eric took the stairs, knowing it would be faster. Within seconds, they arrived at the Stackhouses hotel door. Luckily, Bill had a key card and quickly unlocked the door.

 

Shouting for Elsie, Sookie, and Jason, they rushed in, the door opening with a bang as it hit the wall. The doors to Sookie’s and Jason’s room opened, revealing the sleep-tousled figures of the two Stackhouse siblings. But, Elsie’s door remained closed. “What’s going on?” Sookie asked, coming alert at the sight of the three vampires in the main room. Jason moved to his sister’s side. “Where’s Elsie?”

 

“I smell blood! From the bathroom,” Eric shouted, Godric preceding him by a few seconds. The door was locked and the smell of blood intensified. Silence answered their shouts and pleas for Elsie to open to door, as Godric banged against the reinforced door. The door just had to be reinforced as a part of the renovations to accommodate vampires.

 

Finally, with a loud bang, the door split open in a rain of wood, revealing the heart-stopping sight of Elsie crumbled on the ground surrounded by a pool of blood dribbling out from a stab wound in her chest. A bread knife lay a few feet away, covered in her blood.

 

“ELSIE!” Sookie and Jason screamed, as Godric rushed to her side. The vampires could hear the rattle in her chest and her heart weakly struggle to pump blood through her body, the beats coming slower and slower even as Godric moved to kneel beside her. He tore into his wrist and put it to her mouth just as her heart beat once more, followed by silence.

 

“NO!” Bill shouted, moving forward only to be restrained by Eric. The two humans rushed forward at Bill’s grief-stricken cry and knelt at their sister’s side, opposite of Godric.

 

“Quickly, pump her chest! She’s not breathing!” Godric shouted, massaging Elsie’s throat as he dripped the blood down her throat. Jason immediately obeyed, pale at the sight of all the blood surrounding her. He gingerly put his hands on her chest and pressed down, counting under his breath, “1, 2, 3.” Godric removed his hand at the “3” and breathed into her mouth, replacing his wrist once more followed by another three compressions and so on.

 

They continued in silence for two long minutes before the vampires heard her heart beat, followed by another, and another. Bill collapsed in Eric’s arms, weak and giddy with relief. Eric quickly dropped him in disgust, turning around and walking out, muttering about room service. At seeing this, Sookie sighed in relief and clasped her sister’s hand as Jason and Godric continued to work for another to minute, just in case.

 

By then, Elsie’s heartbeat was finally strong and stable. Her stab wound healed, as if it never existed. She was alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to those of you who have encouraged me!
> 
> I hope Elsie’s thought processes made sense. Let me know if not!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only own Elsie.

“Why? Why would she do this? I don’t understand! Why would Elsie try to kill herself?” Sookie cried out as she paced in the main room of the hotel suite, shaking from the trauma of seeing her sister so close to death – this time by her own hand. Bill walked to her and hugged her in support and comfort, putting a stop to Sookie’s frenzied pacing and calming her shakes. Sookie exhaled deeply, a sob threatening to emerge as she turned into his embrace. The mood was somber as everyone tried to wrap their minds around what had just happened. They couldn’t fathom Elsie, the small, spunky, vivacious girl that they had known (if even for such a short time, as Godric and Eric had only met her due to this whole debacle), taking her own life.

 

Elsie Stackhouse was a ray of light in Bon Temps. She was known for her kindness and generosity, as well as her fearlessness and boldness. If there was one word to describe her, it would be “shameless”. She loved life and did not let the opinions of others stand in the way of her making the most of her short, human life. Due to this, Elsie was also known for her sarcasm and her occasional reckless disregard for others, but in the end she was the darling of the small town. She was bright, lively, and her intense desire to _live_ was infectious. This was evident in even just a few moments of being in her presence.

 

So, her suicide attempt made no sense, whatsoever.

 

“I don’t know Sooks. This isn’t like Elsie at all. We just have to wait for her to wake up to find out what in the hell she was thinking,” Jason said in reply to his sister’s rhetorical and hysterical questions.

 

“Speaking of, she’s waking up now,” Godric commented before disappearing into the room Elsie had been placed in. The others followed Godric into the room, taking in the sight of a pale and dazed, but awake and alive Elsie. Her siblings rushed at her, hugging her from both sides.

 

“Elsie Stackhouse! What in God’s good name were you thinking, pulling such a crazy stunt?! Why in the world would you want to kill yourself?” Sookie cried, clutching onto her baby sister.

 

“Elsie, talk to us baby. We’re family. If there’s something going on, we’ll take care of it,” Jason murmured, his voice cracking on the word ‘family’. “We love you, Elsie.”

 

Elsie bowed her head, letting her hair shield her from the eyes of the others. Godric frowned as she started shaking, not able to decipher the jumble of emotions he felt from her. He took a step forward, ready to intervene when Elsie finally erupted.

 

“No, no no! I’m supposed to be dead! How am I alive? How? This isn’t possible, I was so close! I was so, so, so close to going home! Why, why would you do this to me? Why are you all so cruel? Please, just let me go,” Elsie cried, her voice initially loud and fierce, gradually softening until she trailed off in a broken whisper. “Please, just let me die. I just want to go home.” Godric’s eyes widened. This girl, this human girl, has just articulated the cry that’s been in resounding in his dead heart, unvoiced, for so long. She spoke his silent pleas. How could this human girl know exactly how he was feeling, his desire for peace, for an end, for atonement? How?

 

“Oh Elsie, baby girl, you’re home. You’re with family. We love you so, so much. You may not remember now, but you’re our baby sister,” Sookie whispered, petting Elsie’s hair. “Don’t you worry, we’ll find a way to get your memories back. Don’t worry, everything will be alright Ellie-bellie. We got you.”

 

“No, no, no, this is all wrong! You’re not real! This isn’t real! I’m dreaming, hallucinating, trapped in my own mind. You’re all just figments of my imagination! I need to die, to wake up! Please, please, _please_ just let me die,” Elsie tried pleading, knowing it was futile. Jason sighed and shook his head, tightening his grasp on his baby sister.

 

“No can do See-See. You see, this is all real and we love you too much to let you throw away your life in a fit of hysteria. You’re just confused right now.”

 

“Just, please, tell me, how did I survive?”

 

“I’m not sure we should tell you. You might try again and succeed next time,” Sookie shook her head.

 

“No, we should tell her. That way she would know the futility of trying again,” Eric spoke up, drawing Elsie’s attention. She gazed at him with a mixture of hope and distrust. “Godric saved you, little girl. Be honored he used his sacred blood on a breather like you, not once, but _twice_.”

 

“Eric!” Sookie shouted.

 

“You will not talk to Elsie like that, especially when she’s in such a fragile state,” Bill rumbled from his position near Sookie. Eric rolled his eyes.

 

“Well, coddling her isn’t going to help her.”

 

“Is…is this true?” Elsie interrupted, turning her gaze to Godric. Hopelessness filled her eyes. _How could she escape when vampire blood was in her? When she had a bond to a 2,000 year old vampire, when he could sense her emotions and location? She would never be able to escape!_

 

“Yes,” Godric answered simply, feeling the turmoil and despair that erupted in the human girl.

 

_Maybe…This is_ my _mind after all. Maybe, if I will it, he won’t find me? It’s worth a try._ She sighed, feeling the exhaustion and weakness of her limbs. _But not now. I need to rest until they’re less watchful. Bide my time. Until then, I’ll play the amnesiac Elsie Stackhouse._

 

“I see,” she paused and turned to Sookie. “I’m tired now. Can I go back to sleep?”

 

Sookie hesitated but Jason answered for her. “Sure, See-See. Go to sleep. We’ll wake you in the morning for breakfast.” Sookie sighed, but nodded in agreement, knowing her sister needed time alone to process everything. She tucked Elsie in and left the room with everyone else.

 

Godric paused at the door, looking at the lump Elsie made in the bed. “We’ll watch over you. No harm will befall you,” he promised, before shutting the door and walking out.

 

Elsie sighed and shifted, letting her arms flop on top of the covers. “That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question: Should I make this a romance? And if so…with who? 
> 
> Question: Also, is everyone in character thus far?


	5. Chapter 5

After a few hours of tossing and turning, fruitlessly chasing the ever elusive sleep, Elsie gave up with a huff. She flopped onto her back and stared at the ceiling in thought, trying to understand the impossible situation she found herself in. ‘But then, Rach is so fond of reminding me, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’. Whatever, thanks Rach, because that is so helpful to me right now. I really need to figure out how to get home…or at least how to get away from these people.’ 

As various scenarios ran through her head, ranging from the plausible to the downright ridiculous, a thought occurred to her. 

Godric’s blood now runs through her veins. 

‘Oh, good Lord Almighty how the hell am I going to escape?’

Another thought hit her. Her wounds. The pain. The pain was real. And it didn’t wake her up. And she’s actually fallen unconscious a couple of times, and still she hasn’t woken up. And her wounds were there. They were real. But…they closed up, and her skin is unmarred, as if she never stabbed herself. Which means…Godric’s blood worked. Which is impossible because vampires cannot exist and she cannot possibly be in a fictional world of supernatural, fictional monsters. Worse, she is apparently related to the epicenter of chaos and destruction – Sookie Stackhouse. 

Elsie rubbed her nose bridge, feeling a headache coming on. Regardless, she was not going to docilely accept things. She needed to get away. And failing that, she would endeavor to make these fictional characters rue the day they decided to mess with Elsie Pak. 

But, first things first: could she somehow prevent Godric from feeling her? 

She took a deep breath, focusing on her state of being and her mind. Elsie didn’t really understand how this blood tracking thing worked, but figured that there must be a limit… else the vampires of this world are ridiculously OP’d. ‘I mean, really, even their freaking blood has supernatural properties.’ Refocusing, Elsie tried to detect anything abnormal or intrusive. However, as she did not know what she was looking for, she was really reaching blindly in the dark. 

After a few minutes had ticked by, Elsie huffed impatiently. “This is pointless. I might as well just do what I’m going to do. Go big, be bold,” Elsie said to herself. “If I’m going to try and escape, I should do my best…Or maybe I can just antagonize one of the friendly vampires around here and goad them into killing me…” 

Looking at the clock, Elsie saw that it was nearing dawn. The perfect time to move. She got up and opened the door, an excuse ready on her lips. But, upon stepping into the main room, she saw that it was unnecessary as the entire suite appeared deserted. The doors to the adjoining rooms were open and the rooms were empty, as far as she could see. Shrugging, she sent up a quick prayer of thanks, and moved, half her mind on keeping her emotions steady and the other half on formulating a plan of action. 

Opening the door, again, nonchalantly, she looked out and saw that the hallways were empty, as she expected. Dawn was the time when the vampires died for the day and when the humans were still in bed. 

As she learned from various spy movies and novels, the key to going unnoticed was to act natural and unrushed. So, Elsie very deliberately but unconcernedly stepped out and walked down the hallway to the elevator. She pressed the “down” button, containing and restraining her glee. She tried to focus on her feelings of fatigue, disbelief, and desire to leave – things she had been feeling upon waking up. 

The elevator dinged, announcing its arrival, and opened. Elsie stepped up, ready to enter only to have her plans crashing down on her as Godric, Eric, Bill, and Sookie stepped out. The two parties stared at each other, stunned into momentary paralysis, while the three vampires and two humans processed what they were seeing. 

“Ehehehe, I was thirsty and couldn’t find any water…” Elsie laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. “And well, since I couldn’t find anyone, I thought I could try and get something to drink myself.”

“There is a fully stocked bar in the suite, breather. And your brother is in one of the adjacent rooms. Seems like you didn’t look too hard,” Eric said, a frown creasing his brows as he looked down at her. 

“Right…ahaha, sorry about that. So, I guess I’ll just be going back now then” Elsie bit out, already turning around to walk back to the suite. 

“Wait, Ells, let’s go back together, yeah? We can order breakfast and try to jog your memory,” Sookie said, stepping up alongside Elsie. 

“Er, alright Miss Stackhouse,” Elsie replied, knowing the use of Sookie’s last name would discomfit her. 

“Elsie! You don’t have to call me Miss Stackhouse! I’m your sister, for goodness’ sake!” 

“Hm? But I don’t really know you, now do I? As far as I know, you’re a stranger,” Elsie said, shaking her head as the two girls walked down the hallway. The three vampires followed, having their own conversation, but also clearly listening to the two human girls talk. 

“Elsie Stackhouse, that doesn’t give you any right to antagonize your sister,” Bill said from behind the girls. 

“Look, buck-o, I don’t know who you are – or think you are – to Elsie Stackhouse, but I don’t know any of you guys. As far as I’m concerned, you don’t have any authority over me. You don’t even have the right to scold me, as you’re not even blood-related to me. The only people I’ll accept any kind of scolding or talking down from are my so-called siblings, as they blood-related to me. You hear?” Elsie snapped, not even bothering to look back at Bill. She missed the flash of his fangs and his growl of aggravation, as well as the look of mingled fury and sadness that passed through his eyes. But she did not miss the smile that bloomed on Sookie’s face as the acknowledgement of their shared blood, even if it was at Bill’s expense. 

“Scolded by a little girl, Compton. Oh how the mighty have fallen,” smirked Eric. “Oh wait, you were never mighty to begin with.” Bill just glared at Eric. 

“I suppose the little breather you chose to save is useful for something,” Eric murmured to Godric. “Besides her connection to Sookie Stackhouse.” Eric and Godric skillfully ignored Bill’s growl. The two human girls remained oblivious to the vampire drama happening right behind them. 

“Watch your tone, Childe. She may be a breather, but she’s also more than just a blood-bag. Though you may not see it or understand what I’m speaking of, I trust you will respect me and my judgment, no?” Godric glanced at Eric from the corner of his eye, his full attention still on the blond Elsie Stackhouse in front of them. Eric bowed his head, his eyes angry and sullen, but he nodded regardless. 

“Yes, of course Maker. I mean no disrespect.” 

“Good.” 

They arrived back at the suite, just as the three vampires started to bleed from being awake during the day. 

“Sookie, Elsie, the sun has risen. We must go,” Bill said, gaining the girls’ attention. Godric and Eric nodded at the two before all three vanished. 

“Well…that takes some getting used to,” Elsie muttered, staring at the space the three males once stood half a second before. 

“Oh, you have no idea Elsie,” Sookie muttered back. “Come on, let’s order our breakfast.” 

“Yeah, fine, fine,” Elsie sighed as they both stepped in. Sookie shut and locked the door. “Even though I know this will be useless.”

“Hey, you can’t know that! Besides, it never hurts to try,” Sookie said as she sat on the couch and perused a menu. 

“Whatever. Let’s just get this over with.” Sookie gave Elsie, who was now sitting across from on the couch opposite, a sad look over the top of the menu. 

‘Although Elsie isn’t dead and is in fact alive, it still feels as if she had died and left a stranger in her place…’


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a change in POV this chapter. AND, something about their bond will be revealed, something unusual and rather troublesome for them both! Yay!
> 
> The question is…is it permanent or is it temporary?
> 
> “…” Dialogue  
> ‘…’ Thoughts  
> “…” Dialogue spoken in another language

 

“Okay! I’m feeling me some waffles, grits, and eggs! How about you? Waffles and hashbrowns?” Sookie said, breaking the silence that had fallen. Elsie tilted her head in thought before nodding.

 

“Yeah, sounds good. Can I also have some sausages?”

 

“I thought you might go for that, considering that’s your favorite breakfast combination. See, there’s something familiar already!” Sookie exclaimed, hope bright in her eyes. “Oh, we should order for Jason too. He’ll be up soon and cankering for some breakfast. Hm…what do you think he would like?” Her eyes scanned the menu, even though she already knew what she would order. She was testing Elsie and hoping that even a smidgeon of memory or familiarity would manifest itself.

 

Silence once more fell upon the two girls for a few moments, quickly turning awkward. Elsie shifted uncomfortably, well-aware of Sookie’s hopes for her to remember _anything_ , even something as small as her now-elder brother’s preferred breakfast foods. She couldn’t help the annoyance and ire that swelled at the thought. No matter what these people – there characters – thought, she was not Elsie Stackhouse and would never be.

 

After a few more minutes of silence, it was clear to Elsie that Sookie was waiting for Elsie to make a suggestion and would not speak first.  She sighed and scanned the menu more seriously, thinking about what Jason Stackhouse might like.

 

“Toast, eggs, sausage, and coffee?” She suggested, looking up and into Sookie’s bright blue eyes. She blinked, somewhat dazzled by the clear blue eyes of her now-sister and the bright beam of her smile.

 

“Yep! That’s exactly what I was thinking!” Sookie exclaimed brightly.

 

“Great,” Elsie deadpanned. Sookie either didn’t notice or ignored her sarcasm and grabbed the phone to order their breakfast.

 

“Okay now, while we are waiting do you want to start on Operation Jog-Elsie’s-Memories, otherwise known as Operation JEM?” Elsie looked at Sookie incredulously.

 

“Operation JEM? Really Stackhouse?” Sookie’s face fell a bit, her smile dimming and becoming less real at the distant address. Elsie couldn’t help but feel a twinge of discomfort and sighed once more in surrender. “Fine, fine Operation JEM it is Sookie.”

 

“Alright,” Sookie cheered, her smile returning bright and cheerful at Elsie’s agreement. But truly, the source of her happiness, of her cheer, at that moment was Elsie’s use of her first name, of her retraction of the distant address of “Stackhouse”. It gave her hope, hope of the return of her sister’s memories and hope of building a stronger, less fraught relationship with Elsie.

 

“Okay, so…what do you remember about me or Jason or yourself? Or even of Tara and LaFayette?” Sookie questioned, ready to start Operation JEM. Elsie looked startled, then contemplative, unsure of whether she should claim complete amnesia or admit to knowing something of these characters who were now flesh-and-blood.

 

“Well…I know that you and Jason are my siblings, that my name is Elsie Stackhouse, and that I apparently know Bill rather well. And I suppose I know those other three vampires as well, Jessica, Godric, and Eric, right?” At Sookie’s nod, Elsie continued.

 

“And, I think I remember something about Tara and this … LaFayette? And something about a Sam, but that’s all I really remember.”

 

“Wow, that’s better than I expected,” Sookie said, cheering once more, her smile still as bright. “What do you remember about any of those people you named? And about yourself and any of your friends?” Elsie looked startled, forgetting that in this world, as Elsie Stackhouse, she would have other connections and know people that would possibly not have been seen on the show.

 

“Um, I don’t really remember anyone else, but all I really know about Tara and LaFayette is that they are your friends and they’re black. I think Tara is your best friend? And LaFayette works with Sam? And I think Sam is a blond or something, I don’t really remember, it’s all mixed up and murky in my head.”

 

“Well, that’s something and certainly more than what I had expected,” Sookie said optimistically. “But, what do you remember about yourself? Or about me and Jason?”

 

“Hm, I don’t remember anything about myself or much about you and Jason. How old am I , by the way?” Elsie asks, replying to Sookie’s inquiries. At that moment, Jason walks in and catches the tail end of Elsie’s question. He shoots her a sad look and takes a seat by her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. Elsie tenses at the closeness of his presence.

 

“Why, you’re our baby sister. You’re a measly 20-years-old while Sookie is the grand old age of 26 and I’m 29,” he said, answering her question, noting her tension and rigid posture. A pang of guilt and pain goes through him, reminding him that Elsie’s amnesia is his fault. He fondly thinks of simpler times, before Sookie got involved with vampires, before Gran’s death, before Elsie left for college – the first one in their family to leave Bon Temps to receive higher education – when Elsie used to call him her Jay Bird and snuggle into his hugs. Sookie bites her lips, reading Jason’s thoughts and feels the guilt of her associations with vampires leading to her sister’s condition. No one was blaming her, not Jason, not Elsie, but Sookie couldn’t help but feel guilty.

 

“Oh Jason, we’ve ordered breakfast and are starting Operation Jog-Elsie’s-Memories, JEM for short,” Sookie spoke up, catching Jason’s attention. Jason snorted at the name.

 

“Operation JEM? That’s cute, Sooks, real cute.” Sookie playfully pouted, knowing that Jason needed the diversion and a dose of normality. And if either Jason or Sookie noticed Elsie slowly starting to relax at the diversion away from her and at their casual interactions, they said nothing.

 

After a few more minutes of Jason and Sookie fooling around, and teasing each other with Elsie just observing, a knock sounded at the door. Jason got up and opened the door to retrieve their breakfast while Elsie and Sookie sat in silence.

 

 _‘They seem to be a lot more playful with each other than they were in the show,’_ Elsie mused, reflecting on the interaction between the two Stackhouse siblings. _‘Is that because of me? Are they trying to put me at ease or is that a by-product of having a younger sibling to take care of together?’_

 

Jason returned with the food after tipping and dismissing the bell-hop. “I return with the nectar of the gods,” Jason joked as he put down the platter of breakfast foods they ordered.

 

“Oh yum! I was starving!” Sookie exclaimed, grabbing a plate and utensils before spooning some food onto her plate.

 

“What are you waiting for, Elly-belly? Grab some food,” Jason half-suggested and half-ordered in that way only older siblings can. Elsie grumbled, unused to being ordered around but obeyed.

 

“Yessir Captain Bossy, sir,” Elsie said without thinking as she grabbed some food, not noticing the surprised pleasure on both Sookie’s and Jason’s face at first. After a few minutes of silence, she looked up and saw their surprise. “What?”

 

“You…you called me Captain Bossy in that same tone of voice that you did before you left for college,” Jason said, his voice wavering. _‘Before the resentment and jealousy and distance drove us apart,’_ he continued in his mind, only Sookie privy to this addition.

 

“So what?” Elsie asked, disgruntled and somewhat embarrassed as that cutesy-sassiness was not typical of Elsie Pak, heiress to Young-Joon Pak’s business empire.

 

“Maybe, subconsciously, you remember something of me, of us,” Jason answered. “That’s what’s up. Your memories aren’t completely lost; there is hope.”

 

Elsie remained silent to that, unable to reply. After all, as far as she knew, until she returned to her own body and her own world, the Elsie Stackhouse they knew and love was gone.

 

* * *

 

 

That night, Godric finalized the shift in authority to Isabel. After the last of the paperwork was signed, Isabel turned to Godric with a small sigh.

 

“Godric, are you sure about this? What will you do now?” She questioned, uncertainty in her eyes. She hated the fact that Godric, who had been so understanding to her and her human traitor Hugo, was being punished for her and Stan’s actions. For the actions of his underlings.

 

Godric nodded and smiled at Isabel reassuringly. “Yes, I am certain this is what must be done. Do not worry Isabel, I have the utmost confidence in your power and integrity. I know you will not lead them astray.”

 

Isabel nodded to Godric, “Thank you  Godric, for your kindness and confidence in me. I will strive to make you proud.”

 

Godric shook his head. “No, don’t strive to make me proud. Strive for your people, for your underlings, for those who are now under your authority and rule. They are depending on you to maintain the peace and lead them to a future that is best for all.”

 

“Yes, you’re right. My apologies, Godric. And my thanks, for your advice.” Isabel bowed to the ancient vampire. He waved her off.

 

“It was my pleasure. Now, I have one last matter to see to before I sleep. I wish you the best of luck,” Godric said before he vanished, off to say his last words to his Childe before greeting the sun. He felt a pang of regret at the thought of Elsie, of leaving a loose end, but he trusted that Eric would take care of Elsie – if only for the fact that she shared in his blood.

 

Godric headed to the roof, knowing his Childe was near and would interfere. And just as he predicted, Eric appeared just as Godric reached the 5th floor of the stairwell. “Godric, my Maker, no.” Eric greets without formality, desperation barely seen in his eyes and heard in his voice, the dread nearly palpable in his demeanor. “Whatever you are thinking, no.”

 

Godric simply looks at Eric, a look of such tiredness and hopelessness on his face that Eric was caught bereft of unneeded breath. “Look in my heart, Childe,” Godric simply says, before continuing on to the roof. Eric immediately follows.

 

* * *

 

 

Elsie suddenly paused mid-sentence, a strange feeling foreign to her very being piercing through her own storm of emotions.

 

“Elsie, sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Bill questioned. Bill had joined them, after his meeting with Nan Flanagan, Eric, and Godric, eager to check on the girl who had grown on him during his time at Bon Temps. Despite her distrust of him, she never ceased to be unfailingly polite and even kind to him. Part of him mocked that propensity for kindness while another part of him treasured it.

 

“Hm?” Elsie shook herself out of the stupor she fell into. “I’m not sure. Something doesn’t feel right. I…I think I need to be somewhere.” She fell silent once more, the others watching her with concern. She suddenly stood up and ran out of the suite, running to the room. The others were taken aback by her sudden movement, before they too ran out. Bill quickly caught up to her, but she somehow evaded him and seemed to run even faster, her speed boosted by her urgency and adrenalin. Sookie and Jason exchanged a glance. After all, it should be impossible for a mere human to not only evade a vampire but outrun one as well.

 

Finally, Elsie stopped at the door to the roof, panting and trying to catch her breath. She felt dread in her heart, knowing what scene she was going to walk in to. But somehow, she could not stop herself. And so, she opened the door to the heart-breaking scene of Godric and Eric, the others following behind her. All of their questions and protests were silent at the heavy atmosphere surrounding the two and the palpable grief surrounding Eric, juxtaposed against Godric’s utter serenity.

 

“I will keep you alive by force!” They heard Eric shout, hopelessness in his voice for he knew that even he could not keep Godric from what he truly wanted.

 

“Even if you could, why would you be so cruel?” Godric asked quietly, his eyes fixed on Eric. Both vampires knew the others had come, but ignored the humans and Bill in favor of each other. Eric started crying tears of blood and Elsie’s heart simply broke for Eric. She may not have ever truly liked his character and she may not see the appeal of Eric Northman, but she could empathize with his grief and sorrow. No one deserved to watch a loved one commit suicide, not even Eric.

 

“ _Godric, don’t do it_ ,” Eric pleaded, returning to his mother-tongue, falling to his knees before the entity who made him into who he was today. “ _Please.”_

 

“ _There_ _are centuries of faith and love between us_ ,” Godric replies, putting a hand on his Childe’s head. “ _Peace, Childe._ ”

 

“ _Please, please! Please, Godric, I beg of you_!” The proud Viking was reduced to begging in the hopes of keeping his Maker with him.

 

“ _Father…brother…son_ …Let me go,” Godric whispered.

 

Eric breathed in deeply, his tears slowing. “I won’t – I can’t – let you die alone.”

 

“Yes, you will,” Godric affirmed, unyielding. Eric rose to his feet and Godric’s hand fell from Eric’s head to his shoulder. “As your Maker, I command you.” Eric nods, donning his mask of stoicism once more, and again Elsie’s heart hurt for him. Godric turned and caught Elsie’s eye before turning back to his Childe. Eric looked at Godric, as if memorizing him, memorizing his features and the way he stood, the look in his eyes and the serenity surrounding him. Then, he turned and walked to the stairs, ignoring the group of humans and lone vampire until Sookie reached out to him.

 

“I’ll stay with him. As long as it takes.” Eric looked at her for a long moment, before he continued walking. His eyes met Elsie’s and her breath was taken away at the utter emptiness of his eyes before he looked forward, cutting their gaze.

 

“I will stay, too. He won’t die alone,” she said, hardly recognizing her voice. She had not meant to speak, but she found herself volunteering to stay, moved by Eric’s pain. He nodded, not looking at her, and finally disappeared behind the doors to the roof. Bill and Jason left as well, in respect to the ancient vampire and his chosen moment of death.

 

Sookie moved toward Godric, leaving Elsie to stand alone in the shadows.

 

“Do not worry, it will not take long. Not at my age,” Godric said, breaking the silence and halting Sookie in her advance toward him.

 

“You know, it wasn’t very smart…the Fellowship of the Sun part,” Sookie commented lightly, as if commenting on the weather.

 

“I know. I thought it would fix everything somehow. But I don’t think like a vampire anymore. And I at least got to experience some good out of this…” Godric answered. “Do you believe in God?”

 

“Yes,” Sookie said firmly and without hesitation.

 

“If you’re right, how will he punish me?” He asked, staring in the sky.

 

“God doesn’t punish, He forgives.”

 

“I don’t deserve it, but I hope for it,” Godric said, flashes of his past appearing before his mind’s eye.

 

“We all do,” Sookie said simply.

 

“You will care for him? Eric. Elsie, too?”

 

“Eric…you know how he is. And Elsie is a given, of course,” Sookie replied.

 

“I can take the blame for them both,” Godric whispered. Sookie smiled and shook her head.

 

“Eric’s pretty much himself…and what happened with Elsie…if you hadn’t acted then she wouldn’t be here with us. So I can only thank you,” Sookie said. Elsie was struck by the sheer amount of sincerity in her voice. A moment passed as Sookie gathered herself. “Are you very afraid?”

 

Godric smiled softly. “No, no. I’m full of joy.”

 

“But…what about the pain?”

 

“I want to burn.” That simple statement, the wish for death and pain, the desire for absolution and freedom…it brought both Stackhouse sisters to tears, for very different reasons. Sookie hurt for Godric, but Elsie, she understood. She understood the desire for death, for freedom, for forgiveness for taking the place of an Elsie Stackhouse who is so very missed and loved. And Godric, feeling Elsie’s emotions, once more marveled at the fact that another being existed who could understand him so well, who could empathize with him so clearly. He marveled and felt thankful that his final moments alive would be feeling the closeness and intimacy of feeling another’s emotions. He would die knowing in the very depths of his dead-heart that he was not alone.

 

“I’m – I’m afraid for you.”

 

“Humans with me at the end and human tears shed for me. 2000 years and I can still be surprised. In this, I see God.”

 

Sookie and Elsie watched, powerless, as he turned to the sun and removed his shirt. He spread his arms wide and lifted his face to the sky, welcoming death with peace and joy. He closed his eyes, relieved at the prospect of finally, _finally_ , facing the sun, feeling the gentle warmth of the life-giving star – even for a moment – and meeting death. Silence fell, solemn and still. Anticipation rose. The world seemed to still and time seemed to slow as the sun slowly inched its way over the horizon. He could feel the warmth. Soon, he would feel the burn. Finally. He was ready. Peace suffused his very being as he basked in the warmth of the sun.

 

…

 

Then…then a heart-wrenching, agonized scream pierced the silence and solemnity of the moment and the acrid smell of burning flesh tainted the air. It was human flesh. His eyes snapped open. Elsie.

 

* * *

 

 

For Elsie, she watched with her heart in her throat, dread and sorrowing threatening to drown her. She didn’t understand; he was just a character in some stupid TV show she barely paid attention to, but his pain, Sookie’s pain, _Eric’s_ pain felt so real.

 

As she watched Godric ready himself to the face the sun, she felt something. It started as a faint burn as the sun peaked over the horizon. Grief for this character – this nuisance, monster, man – who saved her and gave her his precious, sacred blood filled her. It distracted her from the burn building within her until the burning sensation escalated into fire searing through her veins, boiling her blood, and scorching her organs. Her flesh burned, her bones seemed to melt. She couldn’t contain her scream as she burned in the light of the dawning sun, before she lost consciousness. She fell before the horror-struck eyes of her sister and Godric.

 

* * *

 

 

“Elsie!” Sookie screamed, running toward her sister who was doubled over and holding her stomach as smoke slowly rose from her fallen figure. She felt as if she were running through molasses, unable to get to her poor, baby sister fast enough. “Elsie!”

 

Godric’s very being froze for a split-second as realization flooded him. Then, he _moved_. In a flash, Elsie vanished and Godric stood cradling her in the shadows. Sookie ran to him and hovered over Elsie.

 

“What just happened? What’s wrong with my sister?” Sookie demanded, tears once more falling from her eyes, but these were not tears of sorrow. No, they were tears of fear for her sister, her sister who she felt suffered enough in the past few days.

 

“It seems our bond forged from my blood has another unintended side-effect. Just as I can feel her emotions, she can take my pain and damage to my body,” Godric murmured, remorse and guilt flooding his body. Bill and Eric burst onto the roof, having heard the Elsie’s screams and Sookie’s shouts. They both froze in shock at the sight of an untouched and alive Godric, a distraught Sookie, and the burnt and smoking figure of Elsie held in Godric’s arms.

 

“She needs blood, now. Before she is irreparably damaged,” Godric said. He gently placed Elsie on the ground. Disturbingly, she remained still and silent. Sookie choked back a sob as Bill came forward to comfort her, his face creased in worry for the burnt girl. Eric remained still in disbelief, processing the fact that his Maker was alive and that it seemed Elsie – the breather – had taken the damage for his Maker, enabling him to live and experience the sun for the first time in 2000 years. And if he knew his Maker, he would stay alive for the breather’s – no, she deserved to be called by name, for the simple fact that she saved Godric – Elsie’s sake.

 

Godric moved to bite his wrist open, but Eric moved forward then. “No, let me.” Godric stilled in surprise, looking up at his Childe who knelt beside him next to the amnesiac and unconscious girl. Eric bit his wrist and brought it to Elsie’s lips, rubbing her throat gently, mindful of her frailty and his strength. Slowly, Elsie regained strength and began to drink the blood without outside help. Her burns began to heal, fading away and leaving behind slightly pinkened skin.

 

She opened her eyes, hazy with remnants of pain, before they focused on Godric. “You’re alive,” she breathed, before closing her eyes once more and falling asleep. They all released a collective sigh of relief. Sookie sobbed, relieved that her sister was okay after yet another traumatic event.

 

* * *

 

 

Godric sat beside Eric, both of them watching Elsie’s still form in the bed as Jason and Sookie moved around between their rooms and the main room, cleaning up and packing for the flight back to Louisiana.

 

“How did you meet her?” Eric asked, breaking the silence.

 

Godric remained silent for a few more minutes, before replying. “She was at the Fellowship of the Sun.” Eric hissed at the name of the God-forsaken church. Godric sent him a quelling look before continuing. “She had been thrown down into the basement as punishment for insulting and punching a deaconess’s son, a boy who had not respected her personal space and was attempting to ‘convince’ her to be his, at least for the night. Of course, he pulled a ‘Pharoh’s Wife’ and claimed that she approached him and would not take no for an answer. Eventually, she tried to subdue him when her seduction did not come to fruition. The deaconess demanded that the “Jezebel” be punished and so they threw her down to share space with the ‘blood-sucker’ in hopes of her confessing her crimes and repenting.”

 

Eric scoffed, unable to believe the audacity of the human boy.

 

“Of course, she did not as she was not in the wrong. So, she remained in the basement for several days. Over the course of those days, she discovered me. When she found out that they were starving me, she offered herself and would not take no for an answer. She went as far as to cut herself and stick her arm through the bars of the cage. At that point, I could not resist and gave in. Luckily, I was able to pull away.

 

“She showed me so much kindness. I could not understand what she was doing with the Fellowship, and so I asked. She said she simply followed her foolish brother to keep him out of trouble. And for her efforts, she ended up there, punished for a crime she did not commit, her reputation tarnished for the whims of an adolescent boy, and stuck with a bloodthirsty monster. Her brother abandoned her to play to the whims of a married woman, Sarah Newlin, the wife of Steve Newlin.

 

“It was because of her kindness and loyalty that I felt compelled to save her and share my sacred blood, blood I had not shared with any human I had not intended to turn. Do you understand, Eric?” Godric asked, turning to look at his Childe who was looking at Elsie. “Of course, my words cannot do her kindness and loyalty justice, her compassion…and I mourn the loss of her memories, of aspects of her personality that were lost with her memories.”

 

Eric remained silent, his contemplative gaze on the fragile human girl in the bed. Godric sighed and turned his gaze back to Elsie as well. The two remained sitting in thoughtful silence as the noise and chatter of the Stackhouse siblings and Bill drifted in the background.


End file.
